Pruning Roses - Knowledgebase Question

We just bought a house and inherited 5 lovely rose plants, one is definitely climbing, 2 are small and have petitie flowers and form a small shrub and one is not as leggy as the climbing but is on a trellis and bloomed through November. I know they need pruning now but all the references I read seem confusing, especially for the large climbing rose. How do I trim this rose without ruining it's height and lovely shape? What do I do with the others? I do not want to over prune them and I want a relaxed look to these plants.

Roses come in such varied shapes, growth and blossom habits that it is hard to keep track of how to prune them! The link below explains in simple terms how to prune these various roses. Unfortunatly, I wasn't able to track down any diagrams for you to view. If you like roses, and think you may be growing more of them in the future, I recommend a good, basic text on rose care. "Roses for Dummies," by Lance Walheim, et. al., is a great choice. You can read more about this book at the National Gardening Website http://www.garden.org/dummies/...